Concerns the origin and dispersal of the tribes of Israel. There are several references to Polynesian origins, especially chapters 26-28.

Watson (1899- ) was born at Fife, Scotland. he went to the Cook Islands in 1930 after working in New Zealand and Australia. He established a firm of clothing manufacturers in Rarotonga which later became United Island Traders Ltd. He was a member of the Rarotonga Island Council for seven years, a member of the Cook Islands Legislative Council for six years, and a member of the Cook Islands Legislative Assembly from 1957 to 1960.

Watson says in an introduction that William Oliver left Devonshire, England, to seek his fortune in Australia in the early 1860s. The narrative is 'an account of his adventures taken almost word for word from a diary kept between 1862 and 1892.' The narrative gives an informative account of life in Rarotonga and the Society Islands. The history of the diary is obscure, but is referred to in an article in the Pacific Islands Monthly for July 1936, p.30.<BR>Oliver died in the Cook Islands in 1906.

This series of wills was rescued by the staff of the Department from files damaged during Cyclone Heta in January 2004.

The will are arranged by village and the name of the will-maker. The villages are: Alofi, Alofi South, Tamakautoga, Avatele, Hakupu, Liku, Lakepa, Mutalau, Toi, Hikutavake, Tuapa and Makefu. Wills on reels 4 and 5 are arranged chronologically irrespective of village.
See Finding aids for details.

The Reverend D.T. Reddin was born in Stepney, Adelaide, in 1880. Orphaned at the age of eight, he and his brothers and sisters were fostered to different families after a short stay in the Livingstone Home - a Methodist Home for children. In 1888 he was fostered to the Nicholas family in Yundool, Victoria and joined the Royal Australian Artillery in 1900. In 1903 he bought is way out of the army and joined the Police. During this period he became involved in mission work and held evangelical meetings. He was invited to address a Home Mission demonstration in Melbourne in 1907 and in July of that year was chosen to assist the Rev. W. Vawdon at North Melbourne Central Mission. With financial assistance from a benefactor, James Morrissey, he became a theological student at Queen's College and was ordained in March of 1910. Appointed as a missionary to New Ireland, he left for Kavieng in April and subsequently spent two years at Omo village. He returned to Australia to complete his studies and married Miss Kelso in June 1914. He and his wife and three children returned to Omo in 1921 but by 1924 Mrs Reddin was in poor health due to malaria and they returned to Australia in 1925.

The typescript consists of eight chapters and covers the period 1888 to 1914. He describes his life as a farmer, a soldier a policeman and a missionary, his work with the Central Mission and his commitment as a Christian. Reddin briefly refers to the years 1914 to 1925 in the last two paragraphs of the final chapter.

The Women's Clubs News was published in Port Vila prior to independence in Vanuatu.

Women's Club News Reel 1, Mar 1971: May 1971: Aug 1971: Nov 1971: Feb 1972: May 1972: Aug 1972: Dec 1972: Mar 1973: Jun 1973: Sep 1973: Jan 1974: Apr 1974: Oct 1974: Apr 1975: Sep 1975: Nov 1975: Mar 1976: Jun 1976: Nov 1976: Feb 1977: Nov 1977: Feb 1978: Jun 1980.

The World YWCA started a South Pacific Project in 1974 with Ruth Lechte as staff person. In 1982, Ofis Blong Ol Meri was established with Diane Goodwillie as Co-ordinator. In May 1983, Edith Enoga from Papua New Guinea was appointed as Communications Development Officer. Ofis Blong Ol Meri was a project to serve the needs of women in the Pacific Islands (especially PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, New Caledonia, Kiribati and Tuvalu). It worked mainly with non-government women’s groups. (From leaflet, n.d., 1983?)

Circulars, leaflets and reports, 1982-1987; Newsletters, 1983-1991; Photographs; Calendars, 1984-1988; Related Publications, 1994-2002.
See Finding aids for details.

Before joining the South Pacific Commission as Director of Programmes, Jon Jonassen was Secretary for Foreign Affairs in the Cook Islands Government. Born in 1949 and educated in the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Hawaii, he has always been greatly interested in Pacific Island traditional music and dance and in family history. These interests are reflected in the present collection of his writings.

The reel contains three items:

1. The Betela Dance Troupe through the years: a series of 9 articles written by Jon Jonassen for the Photo News (Rarotonga, Cook Islands) issues 23 Oct., 30 Oct., 6 Nov., 13 Nov., 27 Nov., 4 Dec., 11 Dec., 18 Dec., 1976. 20 pages
2. Early immigrants to the Cook Islands: Nicholas (History and genealogy of the Nicholas family, from Albert John Nicholas 1813-1888 to Diya Moana Nicholas-Tarip, born 1955, wife of Jon Jonassen) - compiled by Jon Jonassen, 1986. Pages iv, 20, charts 8 - 13.
3. Original compositions, Volume 1: (Words and guitar chords of songs composed between 1967-1987 in Cook Islands Maori, English, French Polynesian and other Pacific Islands languages, Japanese etc.) - includes audio cassette publicity material, microfilmed from photocopied handwritten original. Pages v, 100, 8.

John C. Dorrence (pseudonym James Hartley) spent a term as U.S. consul in Fiji. He wrote this study of J.B. Williams and the American claims in Fiji while at the University of Hawaii, basing it largely on unpublished letters in the Peabody Museum, Salem, Massachusetts. A full bibliography is included. The study is dated March 20, 1966.

A study of J.B. Williams' claims against the Fijian chief Cakobau and their impact on Fiji's history in the mid-19th century. Williams (1810-1860) was an official United States representative in Fiji from 1846 until his death in 1860. His claims led ultimately to the Chiefs' Cession of Fiji to Queen Victoria.

Published by Yap State Government, Colonia, FSM. “The Yap State Bulletin is a vehicle for disseminating news and information about how your State government works; what type of projects, plans and decisions are being made and carried out by your government. The Bulletin is a compilation of information from the various departments, offices, agencies and branches of your State government gathered by the Department of Youth and Civic Affairs.” (Yap State Bulletin, No.1, 17 Nov 1989) The Yap State Bulletin ceased publication in July 1999 in anticipation of the production of The Yap Networker.

Reel 1.

Vol.1, Nos.1-26, 17 Nov 1989-16 Nov 1990
Vol.2, Nos.1-20, 30 Nov 1990-1 Nov 1991
Reel 2.
Vol.3, Nos.1-7, 9-22, 29 Nov 1991-1 May 1992, 15 May-13 Nov 1992
Vol.4, Nos.1-26, 27 Nov 1992-12 Nov 1993
Vol.5, Nos.1-22, 26 Nov 1993-30 Sep 1994
Vol.6, Nos.1-26, 9 Dec 1994-8 Dec 1995
Vol.7, Nos.1-26, 22 Dec 1995-6 Dec 1996
Vol.8, Nos.1-13, 20 Dec 1996-19 Dec 1997
Vol.9, Nos.1-8, 2 Jan-31 Dec 1998
Vol.10, Nos.1-3, 7 May-30 Jul 1999